BERKELEY, Calif. — In the team’s final game of the Overnght Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Invitational hosted by the University of California, No. 7-ranked Princeton University took down No. 10 Long Beach State University, 14-12, for the Tigers’ first victory over a Top 10 team in 2024.
Luke Johnston led the charge as he recorded his first hat trick of the season and the second of his collegiate career. The victory earned Princeton Fifth Place in the eight-team tournament featuring No. 1 the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA), No. 2 Stanford University, No. 3 the University of Southern California (USC), No. 6 California, No. 7 Princeton, No. 10 Long Beach State, No. 12 the University of California-Davis and No. 15 the University of California-San Diego.
The Tigers started the game off with a goal from Vladan Mitrovic 35 seconds into the contest to take a lead the defending Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) Champions refused to relinquish.
Princeton held a 5-4 lead after the first half as all five goals came from different scorers.
Johnston started off the second half with his second goal of the day. Princeton recorded their largest quarter of the game with six goals.
Roko Pozaric tallied back to back goals in the third quarter and carried that momentum into the final quarter for goal number three.
Long Beach attempted to rally with two late goals but Princeton closed the game out to finish fifth among the eight competing teams.
Johnston and Pozaric both registered hat-tricks with trio of tallies in the victory, while JP Ohl and Tas Palcza chipped in pairs. George Caras, Mitrovic, Gavin Molloy and Ádám Peocz each posted solo markers in support of a seven-save effort by goalkeeper Kristóf Kovács.
Information courtesy Princeton University Athletics Communications
